Brace for drill-rod wrenches



Jan. 26, 192. 1,571,081

J. V. YOUNT BRACE FOR DRILL ROD WRENCHES Filed March 9 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ffl gill 1 i/gJ,

gyn/antec W2' mami Jan. 26 1926.

J. V. YOUNT BRACE FOR DRILL ROD WRENGHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1925 atto# new Patented Jan. Z6, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN V. YOUNT, OF SHIDLER, OKLAHOMA.

BRACE FOR DRILL-ROD WBENCHES.

Application filed March 9, 1925.

To all 'whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN V. YoUN'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shidler, in the county of @sage and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and use.- ful Brace for Drill-Rod Vi renches, of which the following is a specification.

ln the general class of earth-boring mechanisms, there is a specific sub-class of machines for coupling,` and uncoupling drill rods and the like, wherein fixed and movable wrenches are employed, the fixed wrench being connected in various ways to an arcuate track, called a circle, and the movable wrench being actuated by a jack which moves along the circle. In order to prevent the circle from springing, .and to the end that the circle need not be fastened down to the platform, it has been proposed hereto-l fore to use an inc-lined brace which extends upwardly from the .intermediate portion of the circle to one of the rod-sections or to some other conveniently located object. Such braces, however, rarely accomplish their purpose, and are prone to jump out of place, to the injury of persons standing` about, and to the delay of the work in hand.

The foregoing being understood, this invention aims to provide a simple brace for a circle of the class described, the brace being so constructed that the circle may be moved and removed whenever necessary, the brace remainingin place and presenting practically no obstacle interfering with the work.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertain's.

A preferred form of the invention has been shown, but a mechanic, working within the scope of whatV is claimed, may make changes, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in top plan, a device constructcd in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an elevation of the carriage.

rlhe numeral 1 marks a support which may include the platform 2 of a drilling rig, and the beams 3 which carry the platform. The platform 2 has an opening 4 with which communicates a narrow and Serial No. 14,185.

elongated slot 5. A closure 6 fits in the opening 4 and may be hinged at 7 to the plat-form 2.

A trough-shaped guide S is secured in the slot 5 and is provided with over-hanging` flanges 9, the inner edges of which are spaced apart, shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The guide 8 is equipped at one end with a keeper 10, which, projecting below the opening 4 in the platform 2, prevents the closure 6 from swinging downwardly beyond the position shown in Fig. 4. ln the bottom of the guide 8 there are seats or openings 11. Arcuate arms 12 aresecured to the bottom of the guide 8 and engage the under surface of the platform 2, to prevent the guide 8 from moving upwardly. Downwardly offset brackets 14 are secured to the guide S,

along with the arms 12, the ends of the brackets being attached by securing elements 15 to the lower surfaces f thev beams 3. rlthe construction obviously is such that the guide 8 is securely held on the support 1.

rlhe device comprises a carriage 16, in the form of a block, so shaped as to fit closely but slidably in the guide 8, beneath the flanges 9. `When the closure 6 is opened, the carriage 16 may be introduced endwise into the guide 8, and when the part 6 is closed, as vshown in Figure 4, the carriage cannot work out of the guide. The carriage 16 is equipped at one end with a curved overhanging lfinger 17 adapted to engage the base flange 18 of the circle 19 along` which moves the jack (not shown) whereby one wrench is operated, in a way well understood by those skilled in the art.

Intermediate its ends, the carriage 16 has an upstanding post 20 whereon the lever or operating member 21 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends as shown at 22. A latch 23 slides in the carriage 16 and is pivoted at 24 to the lever 21, the latch being provided with a shoulder 25 adapted to engage the upper surface of the carriage 16 to limit the downward movement of the latch 23 under the action of a compression spring 26 interposed between the lever 2l and the carriage 16, the spring` 26 and the latch being disposed on opposite sides of the fulcruin 22 of the lever 21. The lower end of the latch 28 is adapted to be engaged in any of the seats 11 which are formed in the bottom of the guide 8.

A glance at Figure 4 will show that the operator has to do no more than to tilt the lever 2l with his foot and then slide the carriage 1G back or forivard until the linger 17 is disengaged from or engaged with the flange 1S of the circle 19. The circle may be shifted quickly, or removed, as occasion may demand. The structure shown and claimed will afford an efficient brace Which will hold the circle, the brace remaining in place securely but releasably.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l. A device for bracing the circle of a Wrench mechanism of the class described, comprising a fixed guide and a carriage mounted for reciprocation on the guide, the guide and the carriage being; provided With interengaging parts which coact to hold the carriage invadjusted positions longitudinally of the guide, the carriage being supplied With circle-engaging means.

2. A device for b acing` the circle of Ya Wrench mechanism of the class described, comprising` a fixed guide having,r seats, .a carriage mounted for reciprocation on the guide, the carriage beingl supplied with circle-engaging` means, and a movable latch mounted on therarriage and engageable in any of the seats of the guide to hold the carriage vin adjusted positions longitudinally of the guide.

3. A device for bracing the lcircle of a wrench mechanism of the class described, comprising aV platform, a guide seated in the platform and'having its upper surface substantially flat with the upper surface of the platform, a carriage mounted for reciprocation in the guide and supplied With circleengaging means, and mechanism for holding` the carriage in adjusted positions longitudinally of the guide.

4. A device for bracing` the circle of a Wrench mechanism of the class described, comprising,` a platform having an opening, a guide seated in the platform, a carriage movable on the guide and having circle-engaging means, mechanism for holding the carri age in. adjusted positions longitudinally of the guide`r the carriage being` insertible into the Lguide by Way of the opening, and a closure for the opening', the closure coactingl with the guide to retain the carriage in the guide.

A device for bracing the circle of a Wrench mechanism of the class described, comprising a support including a platform and beams carrying;` the platform, a guide mounted in the platform, a transverse arm carried b v the guide and cooperating with the undersuriceV of thevplatforn'i, an offset bracketviiarried by the guide and having' its ends mounted on the beams, va carriage mounted for reciprocation in the Lguider,

vmeans for holdinggthe carriage in adjusted positions longitudinally of the guide, and c1rcleengag1ng means on the guide.

In testimoni7 that l claim the foregoing,r as my own, l have hereto afliired my signature.

JOHN V. YOUNT. 

